Wilson counts cost of power plays after T20 defeat for Derbyshire

Sports Reporter

Derbyshire captain Gary Wilson felt his side’s failure in the power plays cost his side as they were beaten against Lancashire by 12-runs in the Vitality Blast.

The Lightning posted 157 for eight, with captain and opener Liam Livingstone’s 44 off 21 balls the highlight, before the Falcons failed to get 18 off the last over and finished on 145 for seven.

Wilson said: “A couple of phases didn’t go our way. If you look at both power plays, they got 68 in theirs - that hurt us, and we were probably a little bit short in ours.

“We dragged it back really well with the ball. We probably went under six an over for the last 14 overs. Our spinners I thought were brilliant. Then the seamers were brilliant as well at the death. That was a pleasing thing.

“At half-time, we had the momentum going into their innings.

“The momentum probably swung back their way before Wayne took their spinners on and had a good partnership with Calum. We were ahead of the game. Then, bang, bang, we lose two quick wickets, two set batters, and all of a sudden you’re under pressure again. From looking like being in a good spot to win the game, we were back up against it and couldn’t get over the line.”

Lancashire were 68 for none in the sixth over but subsided as leg-spinner Matt Critchley, medium pacer Alex Hughes and overseas seamer Wahab Riaz (two for 20 from four overs) claimed two wickets apiece.

The Falcons, who have now lost four from four in the North Group, were 81 for two late in the 10th over of their chase before being shackled on a tired surface.

Leg-spinner Matthew Parkinson was excellent with two for 21 from four, while fledgling left-arm seamer Toby Lester returned a career best four for 25 from four. Lancashire have won three from four matches.Livingstone and Alex Davies, who hit 31, shared an opening stand of 160 in last Friday’s away win over Derbyshire and blazed away here.

Livingstone backed up his maiden century in that match with some more vicious hitting. He smashed two sixes, including one arrow straight off Lockie Ferguson which thudded into a pavilion window.

The Red Rose skipper then fell to a smart low catch at long-on from Wayne Madsen off the medium pace of Hughes with the final ball of the power play.

Hughes later had Davies caught at short third-man reverse sweeping.

Critchley and fellow leg-spinner Matty McKiernan - both playing against their home county and the latter on debut - contributed to Lancashire’s slump.Critchley claimed two wickets in his two overs, while McKiernan bowled four cheap overs.

Lester, with variations aplenty, then struck in the first over of Derbyshire’s chase to get Ben Slater caught at cover before removing pinch-hitting Pakistani Riaz caught behind in the fifth (30 for two)

That brought key man Madsen to the crease, who busily advanced the Falcons alongside opener Calum MacLeod (30) as they reached their 50 partnership in five overs. But three balls later, MacLeod was stumped down leg by Dane Vilas off Jennings’ medium pace, leaving the score at 81 for three at halfway.

Parkinson had Madsen caught behind off a top-edge for 34 and Gary Wilson caught at deep mid-wicket in the 13th and 15th overs, leaving the score at 96 for five.

Daryn Smit and Critchley then revived Derbyshire hopes and took the target down to 23 off the last two before James Faulkner conceded only five off the penultimate, leaving Lester with room for manoeuvre in the last.

He even had Critchley and Smit caught in the deep with successive deliveries in only his third match.

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